Christian Living

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Our Lord Jesus commands us to love one another. This is not a request on His part. It is a COMMAND!

In modern society we use a single word, love, to mean many things. We love our cars, we love our kids, we love our spouses or we love our friends.

Much of the time we think of the romantic love that we find in novels and movies. This is emotional love.

Emotional love is included in what Jesus was speaking about, but it is not the main thrust. Emotional love is a result of action.

Jesus was speaking about AGAPE love. This includes loving the unlovable. It is unconditional love.

Jesus makes many references to agape love. Listed below are some of the most widely quoted. In each case, the Greek word used for love is agape.

“10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 12-10-13)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34)

“Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29″The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28b-31)

Emotional love cannot be commanded. So, agape love must come and be shown through action.

These actions include:

Kindness

Generosity

Acceptance

Openness

Forgiving

Christian Love, AGAPE Love, is NOT an Emotion!

As Christians we are commanded to both give and accept this form of love. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, are reborn and become new creations in Christ, we are enabled to show this agape love, to live in agape love.

The emotional love that we all experience is not the action. Nor is it the primary goal. It is the result of our actions in living as Jesus would have us live.

How are you showing your Christian love today?

Shalom, Art
Alive in The Word

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